SolidWorks Sustainability

SolidWorks Sustainability – Really
When I first heard that SolidWorks was going to release a Sustainability product I can honestly say that I was less than thrilled. I think that it has been equally dismissed as heralded in the general press and the online world. I personally have seen some keen interest in the SustainabilityXpress version as well as the stand-alone product and so I thought that I would share my experiences with you.

You may already know that the technology is pretty well known and regarded. The data used by SolidWorks Sustainability is provided by PE International of Stuttgart, Germany. They have provided software and consulting services in sustainable design and LCA for almost 20 years. As I write this I am drinking out of a Deer Park water bottle that on the label talks about using an Eco-Slim cap that uses less plastic. In fact, this press release earlier this year titled SolidWorks Sustainability wins Design News Golden Mousetrap Award 2010 for Innovation and Creativity, shows some good promise.















Life Cycle Assessment, LCA, is the analysis that looks at a product’s entire life, including ore extraction, material production, manufacturing, product use, end-of-life disposal, and all of the transportation that occurs between these stages. This is potentially a simple way to include some additional information into your design cycle to help you make better decisions. Information is power.

The information that you will be able to review is Air Acidification, Carbon Footprint, Total Energy Consumed, and Water Eutrophication. If you would like a more detailed description of these metrics, please review the Sustainability website. The important point to remember here is that these are concerns that help provide you insight into what impact that you have by choosing manufacturing aspects of your design and can give you a qualitative assessment of your choices.

So, give the SustainabilityXpress product a shot; you can find it under the Tools toolbar and see if this is another tool that you can use to provide you some insight into your overall design process.

Note: If you’re using SolidWorks 2009, you can download SolidWorks SustainabilityXpress at SolidWorks Labs.